All Chapters of Hunted: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

RILEY Faster. Move. Come on. My breaths were ragged, every inhale and exhale tearing through me as I barreled through the woods. Branches snagged at my fur, cutting deep, but I couldn’t stop. Not now. Not when I could hear them right behind me—the snarls, the barks—closing in. Hunting me down like some damned animal. Hell, who was I kidding? That’s exactly what I was to them now. A mutt to put down. An inconvenience. A betrayal. I felt the snap of jaws too close, teeth grazing my tail as I dodged right, pushing every ounce of strength I had left. A single glance over my shoulder was my mistake. My paws slipped on the slick ground, sending me skidding over jagged rocks until I slammed down hard, side-first. Pain shot through me, raw and jagged, as I collided with a sharp rock that bit deep into my skin. Howls. Sneers. They were so damn close. Get up. Get up, Riley. I forced myself to stand, paws trembling. My legs screamed to give out, but I pushed forward. I had to. The

RILEYFuck, my head’s pounding. All I could focus on was the hammering pain in the back of my skull as I forced my eyes open, barely able to make out the dim room around me.“You’re finally awake.”The gruff voice yanked me up, and I regretted it instantly, hissing at the pain that ripped through my stomach and neck. My hand went to my throat, fingers grazing cold metal. A goddamn chain. I glared up at the guy sprawled out on the couch, legs spread like he was watching his favorite show.“You chained me.” The words came out low, almost a growl, and I jerked my neck forward, the chain biting into my skin. “You fucking chained me.”He raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “Well, seeing as you broke into my house and damn near choked me to death… figured it was in my best interest to keep you like that. Just in case you decided to go… wild again.”I stared him down for a second, maybe two, before slumping back onto the tiny bed. My gaze drifted to the bandage on my abdomen, the wound neatly wr

SILAS “Are you even listening to me?” I demanded, leaning forward, my voice a low growl. Riley’s eyes were glazed, lost in whatever fevered haze had taken over, and I was starting to doubt he could even hear me. He didn’t respond, just stared, his lips parting in some kind of dazed surrender. And then he leaned in, lips brushing against mine, the contact so brief, it was almost a whisper. But in the same instant, my grip on the knife tightened, the blade biting deeper into his skin. Warm, slick blood coated my fingers, forcing me to jerk back. The heat, the scent—it was too intimate, too close. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” I spat, glaring at him. He groaned, hips lifting under my weight, his breath shuddering as he muttered, “I—I can’t help it…” His head rolled to the side, before his gaze met mine, pupils blown wide. “Please… make it stop… Marcus.” That name. Marcus. I didn’t know why it made my skin crawl, but it did. I bit down on the frustration, fingers pressing into

RILEYThe faint, rough warmth of something wet dragged across my arm, pulling me from a deep, pain filled sleep. I blinked against the darkness, my whole body tightening as I prepared for the worst. Had they found me? My pulse quickened, but then I saw it—a small figure close to me, a brown shape in the dim light. A dog. My mind pieced together its name from fractured memories. Scout. That was what the human had called it.“Hey, you,” I whispered, my fingers slipping into its warm, thick fur. The dog’s eyes gleamed back at me, the only comforting glow in this hollow basement.“How did you get in here?” I asked, voice barely above a rasp. I tried to lean forward, but the chain around my neck tugged sharply, the silver biting harder into my raw skin. I winced as I felt a fresh slice of pain, then the telltale trickle of blood. It seeped slowly, a crimson line over my skin, the scent was sharp and metallic in my nose, even as faint as it was.It wouldn’t be long now. The poison would wo

SILASIt took Jade eight hours to reach my cabin up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula—eight hours of watching Riley grow paler, his face twisted in pain, each second feeling like it was my fault.She slammed her car door shut, a gym bag slung over her shoulder as she marched to the front porch. I met her halfway, breathing in the cold September air to steady myself.“Jade.” My voice came out rough, tense, and awkward. She looked at me with that cold expression she’d perfected over the years, the one that screamed, don’t mess with me. Her gaze slid over my shoulder, and then she stepped around me, ignoring the barely contained breath I didn’t even realize I was holding.This was exactly why I hadn’t wanted to call her. Five years of silence between us after everything had gone to hell, and I was just about the last person she’d ever want to help. But this wasn’t about me, this was about Riley, and I had no choice.I followed her up the stairs and through the front door. “Where is he?” she